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== Accident == |
== Accident == |
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Flight TG261 from Bangkok to Suratthani departed at 17:40 local time from Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport. On board were 14 crew members and 132 passengers (including the 25 foreigners), The estimated flight time was one hour and 55 minutes.<ref name="Lubbock 1998" /><ref name="ASN">{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19981211-0|title=Aircraft accident Airbus A310-204 HS-TIA Surat Thani Airport (URT)|last=Ranter|first=Harro |
Flight TG261 from Bangkok to Suratthani departed at 17:40 local time from Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport. On board were 14 crew members and 132 passengers (including the 25 foreigners), The estimated flight time was one hour and 55 minutes.<ref name="Lubbock 1998" /><ref name="ASN">{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19981211-0|title=Aircraft accident Airbus A310-204 HS-TIA Surat Thani Airport (URT)|last=Ranter|first=Harro|publisher=[[Aviation Safety Network]]|lang=en|accessdate=2013-12-17}}</ref> |
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Weather conditions were rainy at the time of the crash, and the crew was unable to see the runway. At 19:05, the aircraft was attempting to land on runway 22 for the third time following two aborted landings. The captain ordered another go-around attempt, but when the pitch attitude had reached approximately 48 degrees, the aircraft entered an aerodynamic stall and began to lose altitude and crashed into the ground, bursting into flames. 101 of the 146 passengers and crew died at the scene (11 of the 14 crew members were killed in the crash, including both pilots, while 90 of the 132 passengers were killed, including 14 of the 25 foreigners). The 45 survivors were rushed to the hospital. One of the people killed in the crash was the sister of the [[Ministry of Transport (Thailand)|Minister of Transport and Communications of Thailand]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.apnews.com/944dacf3efd46da0822448c930eeb282|title=94 Killed in Thai Plane Crash|last=Khaikaew|first=Thaksina|date=|work=AP NEWS|access-date=2019-09-29}}</ref> One of the survivors of the crash was Thai actor and singer [[Ruangsak Loychusak]].<ref name="ASN" /> |
Weather conditions were rainy at the time of the crash, and the crew was unable to see the runway. At 19:05, the aircraft was attempting to land on runway 22 for the third time following two aborted landings. The captain ordered another go-around attempt, but when the pitch attitude had reached approximately 48 degrees, the aircraft entered an aerodynamic stall and began to lose altitude and crashed into the ground, bursting into flames. 101 of the 146 passengers and crew died at the scene (11 of the 14 crew members were killed in the crash, including both pilots, while 90 of the 132 passengers were killed, including 14 of the 25 foreigners). The 45 survivors were rushed to the hospital. One of the people killed in the crash was the sister of the [[Ministry of Transport (Thailand)|Minister of Transport and Communications of Thailand]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.apnews.com/944dacf3efd46da0822448c930eeb282|title=94 Killed in Thai Plane Crash|last=Khaikaew|first=Thaksina|date=|work=AP NEWS|access-date=2019-09-29}}</ref> One of the survivors of the crash was Thai actor and singer [[Ruangsak Loychusak]].<ref name="ASN" /> |
Revision as of 23:53, 29 September 2019
Accident | |
---|---|
Date | 11 December 1998 |
Summary | Stalled during approach due to pilot error and spatial disorientation |
Site | 0.7 km S of Surat Thani International Airport (URT) (Thailand) |
Aircraft | |
Aircraft type | Airbus A310-204 |
Aircraft name | Phitsanulok |
Operator | Thai Airways International |
IATA flight No. | TG261 |
ICAO flight No. | THA261 |
Call sign | THAI 261 |
Registration | HS-TIA |
Flight origin | Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) |
Destination | Surat Thani International Airport (URT) |
Occupants | 146 |
Passengers | 132 |
Crew | 14 |
Fatalities | 101 |
Injuries | 45 |
Survivors | 45 |
Thai Airways International Flight 261 (TG261/THA261) was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport, Thailand to Surat Thani International Airport in Surat Thani, Thailand. The flight was operated by Thai Airways International, the flag carrier of Thailand. On 11 December 1998, the aircraft, an Airbus A310-204 registered in Thailand as HS-TIA, stalled and crashed in a rice paddy on its landing attempt at Surat Thani Airport. A total of 101 people were killed in the crash.[1]
Thailand's Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee (AAIC) opened an investigation into the accident. The investigation revealed that the crew had become disoriented. Visibility was limited. Stress caused the crew to lose control of the aircraft. The AAIC noted also Surat Thani's minimal lighting and faulty warnings to the aircraft.[1]
The accident was the second deadliest plane crash in Thailand,[2] behind Lauda Air Flight 004.[3] It was the fifth worst accident involving the Airbus A310 and the fourth hull loss of an Airbus A310.[4]
Aircraft and crew
HS-TIA was an Airbus A310-204, c/n 415, previously registered as F-WWBI for flight testing with Airbus. Given the name Phitsanulok, HS-TIA was first flown on 3 March 1986 and delivered to Thai Airways at Don Mueang on 29 April 1986.[5][6]
The captain was 58-year-old Thawat Wichaidit, who had 10,167 flight hours, including 3,008 hours on the A310.[6][7]
The unnamed first officer (age unknown), had 2,839 flight hours, with 983 of them on the Airbus A310.[6]
Nationalities
There were 25 foreigners on board the flight including nationalities from Austria, Australia, Britain, Finland, Germany, Japan, Norway, and the United States. Among the survivors were three Australians, three Japanese, three Germans, two Israelis and one Briton.[8][9]
Accident
Flight TG261 from Bangkok to Suratthani departed at 17:40 local time from Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport. On board were 14 crew members and 132 passengers (including the 25 foreigners), The estimated flight time was one hour and 55 minutes.[8][1]
Weather conditions were rainy at the time of the crash, and the crew was unable to see the runway. At 19:05, the aircraft was attempting to land on runway 22 for the third time following two aborted landings. The captain ordered another go-around attempt, but when the pitch attitude had reached approximately 48 degrees, the aircraft entered an aerodynamic stall and began to lose altitude and crashed into the ground, bursting into flames. 101 of the 146 passengers and crew died at the scene (11 of the 14 crew members were killed in the crash, including both pilots, while 90 of the 132 passengers were killed, including 14 of the 25 foreigners). The 45 survivors were rushed to the hospital. One of the people killed in the crash was the sister of the Minister of Transport and Communications of Thailand.[10] One of the survivors of the crash was Thai actor and singer Ruangsak Loychusak.[1]
Investigation
Airbus, the aircraft manufacturer, sent a team of specialists to assist Thai authorities in the crash investigation. Both the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder were found by the search and rescue team and were taken from the crash site for further investigation.[11] Investigators stated that bad weather was the probable cause of the accident, without ruling out pilot error. There was a project to extend the runway at Surat Thani Airport, however, the project was delayed due to an economic downturn. A Thai air force pilot stated that due to the removal of the Instrument landing system (ILS), pilots had to use a radio navigation system which was less accurate.[12]
In the same year, Thai Airways International began reducing its foreign pilots with then vice-president of the company Chamlong Poompuang stating that pilots were trained to exercise high caution. At the same time, Poompuang recognized that the airline been had taken fuel-saving measures due to the economic downtown, which should not be considered contrary to safety. Thai Airways International chairman, Thamnoon Wanglee said, "Safety is our highest priority. What our policy is and what happened are two different things."[9]
Aftermath
Thai Airways International offered compensation payment to the families affected by the crash. Chairman Wanglee stated on a news conference that each relative of the 101 victims of the crash would receive a compensation payment of US$100,000, while the 45 injured survivors would receive a compensation of 200,000 baht (US$5,600) each. The airline would pay their medical expenses.[12]
Television episodes
- Modernine TV discussed Thai Airways International Flight 261 on TimeLine, 30 May 2016, in "Flight 261 Disaster".[13]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Ranter, Harro. "Aircraft accident Airbus A310-204 HS-TIA Surat Thani Airport (URT)". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "Aviation Safety Network > ASN Aviation Safety Database > Geographical regions > Thailand air safety profile". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 767-3Z9ER OE-LAV Phu Toey". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "Aviation Safety Network > ASN Aviation Safety Database > Aircraft type index > Airbus A310". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
- ^ "HS-TIA Thai Airways International Airbus A310-204 - cn 415". Planespotters.net. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ^ a b c "AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT THAI AIRWAYS INTERNATIONAL COMPANY LIMITED AIRBUS A310-204, HS-TIA SURAT THANI AIRPORT THAILAND 11 DECEMBER 1998". www.aviation-accidents.net. Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee. 11 December 1998. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- ^ Khaikaew, Thaksina (11 December 1998). "THAI AIRBUS CRASHES WITH 146 ABOARD". The Washington Post. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ a b "Thai police stop search at crash site". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. AP. 13 December 1998. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
- ^ a b "Thai plane was missing equipment". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. AP. 14 December 1998. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
{{cite news}}
:|archive-date=
/|archive-url=
timestamp mismatch; 17 December 2013 suggested (help) - ^ Khaikaew, Thaksina. "94 Killed in Thai Plane Crash". AP NEWS. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "Grim task over". BBC. 12 December 1998.
- ^ a b "Thai crash victims compensation offer". BBC. 13 December 1998.
- ^ สํานักข่าวไทย [Thai journalist] TNAMCOT, ข่าวดังข้ามเวลา ตอน หายนะ..เที่ยวบิน 261 [คลิปเต็มรายการ] [Celebrity news across time when disaster .. Flight 261 [Full list]] (in Thai), retrieved 12 December 2018
External links